Any sports fan loves their own game with a passion that most people reserve only for marriage or for stories of the “one that got away.” Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t occasionally want to throw things at the players. And there is really one action that will frustrate and anger fans more than anything else, and that’s players (and owners and the league, if we want to assign blame equally to everyone) that are putting the season on hold to try and negotiate for just a little bit more money. Sort of like what we’ve seen in the NBA talks that have been dragging on and on this year.
Now, before we get into just how many millions of dollars players need to make to be kept happy, let’s look at the root cause here. The main argument was that the system for how teams get paid in the NBA, which is really a team owners’ issue more than a players’ issue on the face of things, is out-dated and unfair. And sure, if you deal in millions of dollars everyday that becomes your Read More…
Thanks to Blake Griffin, the Los Angeles Clippers are relevant for the first time in…umm, ever.
You are seeing the Clippers selling out road arenas, headlining nationally televised basketball games, and even selling jersey’s to fans. Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s all thanks to Blake Griffin and his dunks. The thing is, while the Clippers are back from obscurity, it’s going to take at least one more season for them to make it back to the playoffs. The reason is simple: they don’t have the winning mindset yes. While they have been hot at certain times throughout the year, they still find themselves nearly ten games out of a playoff spot with 30 games remaining, live results. Even if you take away their miserable 1-13 start, they are still playing sub .500 basketball since, which will not cut it in the Western Conference (in the Eastern Conference they would be fighting for the 8th spot).
The surprising thing about the Clippers is that they aren’t that they have shown flashes of brilliance this season. At times throughout the year they have looked like they could take on all comers and tear through the Western Conference. The problem is that most of those flashes of brilliance took place at home. While they are a respectable (at least for the Clippers) 18-15
Whether the Magics’ rebuilt personnel is sufficient to win an NBA title remains to be seen. However what is starting to be obvious by the day is that Orlando definitely have more than sufficient offensive talent to remove some of the workload from All Star C Dwight Howard when they have to.
Having Howard limited with early foul trouble, the Magic put in eighteen points each from Jason Richardson & Brandon Read More…
During a minute of annoyance, Lakers guard Steve Blake kicked a ball way up into the seats at the conclusion of shoot-around Tuesday afternoon, causing first-year Derrick Caracter to run up the steps at the AT&T Center to retrieve the basketball. It is the exact same thing Los Angeles are attempting to do versus the Spurs on Tuesday evening.
On Saturday, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson say the coaching crew had been looking to San Antonio matchup on the calendar for a while now, however Kobe, Los Angeles co – captain, say the Lakers have not done the same. Kobe, who choose not to talk to the press within 3 sessions heading up to the Christmas matchup & an additional after the contest after workout sessions Read More…
The stacked Heat might not be off and away to a traveling start with their Big 3 trio, however it is obvious how the Raptors are a completely different group without having Chris Bosh. Bosh is going to encounter his ex – team for the first time Sat evening when Miami try to prevent one 3rd consecutive defeat while they have the visiting Raptors.
Miami (5-4) changed the landscape of the League with Read More…
The 1-4 Milwaukee Bucks will be making the trip out to Indiana to take on the 2-2 Pacers. Both teams are looking for a big win and both teams are in grave need of it.
The Bucks have looked bad through five games, their only win coming against the lowly Bobcats. They have struggled with offense and defense in every single game, and desperately need to get on pace. They have a chance to get things turned around against a Pacers team that has struggled with mediocrity. The biggest obstacle to the Bucks success has been any kind of cohesive offense. The team isn’t even averaging 30 PPG, and fields one of the weaker defenses in the NBA. If you can’t stop someone you had better be able to out score them. The Bucks have done neither, but this early in the season it is not Read More…
The Memphis Grizzlies are beginning to come together as an NBA contender. This is in large part to smart work by head coach Lionel Hollins, who managed to save their season from last year from the acquisition of Allan Iverson. This year Coach Collins hopes to be less in the business of saving and more in the mind of winning. While they went 40-42 last year the Grizzlies are hoping that some of the off season tweaking of their team will pay big dividends this year.
The Grizzlies have parted ways with Ronnie Brewer, in a successful bid to keep Rudy Gay in town. The additions of Xavier Henry, and Greivis Vasquez give this team a badly needed infusion of youth, and they look for Tony Allen to be an improvement on Brewer. However these new addition aren’t enough to take them to the playoffs alone. Point guard Mike Conley has shown improvement, and this needs to continue for the Grizzlies to make a major impact this year. Memphis also needs another year of strong play from Randolph, and Marc Gasol.
Memphis is almost playoff ready, and very well could find a way in towards the end of the year, however the players on the bench need to step up their games, as the teams depth is possibly its biggest weakness this year. Last year Hollins managed to light a fire under the team, and this year that fire must absolutely stay lit for this team to have any chance to advance to the playoffs. If the front stays strong and they can come together as a team they stand a chance to make waves.
So far the Grizzlies have proven to be a solid team, and they look to be bordering on very good. They have managed to put together a 5-0 record so far this season, and if they can keep momentum going it will help further into the year when the wins become harder to come by. They have been shooting at a high level and have shown the ability to play as an entire team, something that was sorely lacking last year.
If they keep up this level of play look for the Grizzlies to test the waters of the post season this year. A good team performance might send this team much deeper than many people expect.
The Los Angeles Lakers may be the two time defending NBA champions and the favorite of NBA general managers to carry out a three-peat, but they’re not the best in the world, at least not for one night. While FC Barcelona may not be the best in the world either, they were at least better than the Lakers on Thursday night, winning 92-88 in a sometimes heated game which included three technical fouls, unusual for an exhibition game. It also spoiled the return of Lakers center Pau Gasol, a native Spaniard, who garnered a standing ovation and constant attention. The loss dropped the Lakers to 0-2 in the preseason after an opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers were outplayed in the second half, blowing a 12 point lead and never recovering after FC Barcelona came back to tie the game at 72-72 in the fourth quarter. FC Barcelona out-shot the Lakers, converting on 38.5% of their field goals as opposed to the Lakers 34.1%. Most importantly, FC Barcelona was able to score from three-point range, going 12-38 while the Lakers missed all 14 of their three-point attempts. FC Barcelona’s three point shooting prowess compared to the Lakers overshadowed the fact that FC Barcelona committed more turnovers and fouls and had less steals than the Lakers.
FC Barcelona was led by Pete Mickeal, who scored 26 points and converted on two of his five three point attempts. Close behind Mickael was Juan Carlos Navarro, who had 25 points to go with his six assists. Surprisingly quiet on the court was Ricky Rubio, the much heralded guard who was drafted with the fifth overall pick by the Timberwolves in the 2009 draft. Rubio played 18 minutes without scoring a point and committed a team-high four turnovers.
Gasol has a relatively successful homecoming game, scoring a team-high 25 for the Lakers while also pulling down 10 rebounds. However, those points came on 7-21 shooting from the field and he only made one field goal after half-time. Kobe Bryant shared in Gasol’s shooting woes, going 2-15 from the field, but he finished with 15 points. Despite still recovering from a knee injury, Bryant played 25 minutes and earned cheers from the Spanish crowd.
The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves begin their preseason on Monday. Both teams have traveled to London, England, as part of the NBA’s annual European tour.
The biggest questions heading into this game are regarding the Timberwolves. Minnesota is coming off of another bad season, winning only 15 games last season. A look at the team roster would seem to indicate a team that has just underachieved, and an improvement in the upcoming season would seem a sure thing. However, the team is made up largely of players who have yet to become the players everyone thought they would be. The main culprit is Michael Beasley. Although he has shown flashes, he will need to consistently put up big numbers for Minnesota to work their way back to relevance. The only consistent player for the Timberwolves has been Kevin Love, but he isn’t a player who’s going to put the team on his back. However, if Beasley is finally able to find consistency, Minnesota has a decent enough supporting cast to at least be an entertaining team.
There are much fewer questions for the defending champs. Although the Lakers are already dealing with injuries, none of them appear to be serious. Finals MVP Kobe Bryant is recovering from off-season knee surgery and is questionable for the duration of the European trip. He has stated that he hopes to play, but whether he does or not will depend on his health. While Bryant is a possibility, Los Angeles will be without starting center Andrew Bynum, who is also recovering from off-season knee surgery. Fortunately, these absences shouldn’t hurt the Lakers too much, especially in the pre-season, given the new additions to the team. During the off-season, the Lakers added defensive specialist and three-point threat Matt Barnes, along with recently drafted Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter, considered two of the best value picks in the draft.
This game will highlight guys trying to find their role with their respective team. The players to watch will be Beasley for the Timberwolves and Ebanks and Caracter for the Lakers. It will be interesting to see what shape Beasley is in and if he has finally decided to take his career seriously. Ebanks and Caracter were both impressive for the Lakers in the summer league, and it will be interesting to see how effective they will be as the competition gets better.
For being the two-time defending NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been talked about much this off-season. With all of the news, buzz, and gossip about the big free-agent moves of other teams, the Lakers have been very quiet in comparison. However, that doesn’t mean the Lakers haven’t made moves, and the lack of attention may yet be a good thing, as it could provide extra motivation for G Kobe Bryant as the Lakers attempt to be the first team to complete a three-peat since the Lakers’ 1999-2002 run.
All of the major contributors of last year’s team are back, with perhaps none bigger than coach Phil Jackson, who flirted with retirement. Joining the Lakers are F Matt Barnes and G Steve Blake, both of whom figure to strengthen the Lakers bench, which was one of their few weaknesses last season. Barnes has averaged over seven points and four rebounds in his career, mostly coming off the bench, and Blake is coming off a season where he averaged over seven points and five assists per game.
Critical to the Lakers’ success is the health of Kobe Bryant and C Andrew Bynum. Bryant’s various injuries last season, including that of the right index fingers on his shooting hand, nagged at him in the playoffs last year and could be factors in the Lakers’ success if they continue to bother him or are aggravated again. Bynum’s right knee is also of concern to the Lakers; the knee underwent surgery this summer after being drained on multiple occasions during the Lakers’ playoff run. Bynum is already not expected to be ready for the start of the season and a prolonged absence from him could result in weakness in the center position.
